Chapter 306: Strong Trunk, Weak Branches

Feeling a surge of interest, Liu Chengyou picked up a small, square coiled-dragon seal from the imperial desk. Zhang Dejun immediately opened the ink pad box, and Liu Chengyou dabbed the seal lightly before pressing it onto the "masterpiece" he had just completed.

This was his personal seal—the four seal-script characters "Qianyou Imperial Treasure" landed crisply on the paper, as if adding the finishing touch, causing the "vital rhythm" and "artistic conception" to ripple outward at once. Glancing at it, his calligraphy did possess a certain charm.

After admiring it for a few moments, Liu Chengyou's expression turned serious. He crumpled the paper in his hand a few times and handed it to Zhang Dejun: "Take this and burn it!"

"Yes!" The palace eunuch acknowledged respectfully.

"Your Majesty, Vice Censor-in-Chief Bian Guidang requests an audience outside the hall." Just as he picked up his brush again, the palace attendant came forward to report, interrupting Liu Chengyou's leisurely mood.

"Summon him!"

"Your Majesty!" Seeing this, Yang Ningshi tactfully took the initiative to say: "Your servant will take his leave now."

Glancing at this old man, Liu Chengyou's attitude was also gracious: "Take care, Master Yang."

To show respect for the worthy, Liu Chengyou ordered someone to escort him out of the palace and bestowed upon him the imperial writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. Though the gift was not heavy, it moved Yang Ningshi to deep gratitude. Of course, how much of it was sincere, Liu Chengyou would not bother to guess.

Bian Guidang possessed an aura of authority without needing to show anger. He did not present a stern face, yet he still gave people a feeling of seriousness and rigidity, even when facing the sovereign.

Liu Chengyou wasted no words and directly instructed him: "Minister Bian, I am very satisfied with your conduct in the Censorate—the order, the discipline, the fairness. Next, in matters of impeachment and oversight, I want to see results!"

Bian Guidang answered crisply: "Yes!"

"After the rectification of the Censorate, are there still any problems?" Liu Chengyou asked.

"To answer Your Majesty: first, the censors of the three courts remain insufficient in number, and many posts under the courts are also vacant; second, the censors under my command are of mixed talent and virtue, lacking capable men, and many are unfamiliar with or even ignorant of Censorate affairs, merely occupying positions without doing real work; third, the external courts and the supervisory affairs of the various circuits and prefectures across the realm also need to be reorganized and sorted out..." Without hardly pausing, Bian Guidang listed three matters in succession. His capable demeanor truly pleased Liu Chengyou.

Liu Chengyou took a moment to digest what Bian Guidang had said, thought it over, and directly told him: "The current state of the nation is what it is; we can only make do with what we have. If talent is insufficient, it can be replenished gradually. My focus on rectifying the censors is to reorganize Censorate affairs, reestablish its authority, and revitalize the court's discipline. During this period, Minister Bian has done well. As for restoring the full system of the former Tang, there is no rush for now."

"As for the censors at court, Minister Bian, continue your rectification—eliminate the dishonest practices, strengthen internal training and assessment. I will say it again: the capable rise, the incompetent fall. As for supervisory affairs in the outer prefectures, they must be handled gradually. You may establish trials in the prefectures near the capital, so that communication flows between top and bottom!"

Seeing that Liu Chengyou had given a response to his report in such a short time, Bian Guidang was slightly surprised inwardly, but not too astonished. Having grown familiar with Liu Chengyou's style over this long period, he clasped his fists and answered: "Yes!"

From Bian Guidang, Liu Chengyou seemed to see the four big characters "full of drive and vigor." He took a slight breath and sighed from the bottom of his heart: "Since the late Tang, the realm has been in prolonged chaos without end—warfare everywhere, devastation on all sides, the common people suffering bitterly. I wish to eliminate the scourge of war and turn chaos into order, and I am precisely lacking capable ministers like Minister Bian!"

Liu Chengyou's words seemed to touch Bian Guidang, who appeared moved and bowed respectfully: "Your Majesty's diligent governance is inspiring. I am willing to be driven by Your Majesty!"

Seeing Bian Guidang's declaration, Liu Chengyou's expression slightly tightened, but his demeanor became even more genial. At present, he was single-mindedly devoted to governance and martial revival, needing a large number of talents to serve him. He did not need his ministers to "suck up" to him, but this display of respect was still pleasing.

After Bian Guidang took his leave, in less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea—before he had even finished two pages of the booklet in his hand—his cousin arrived.

"Your Majesty, Xiangzhou Military Governor Liu Zhu and Qingzhou Military Governor Guo Jin have already left the capital this afternoon." Li Shaoyou, the spymaster of the Wude Office, stood in the hall reporting to Liu Chengyou.

"Mm..." Putting down the book, Liu Chengyou acknowledged and said leisurely: "They're certainly in a hurry. With such cold weather and such heavy snow, the four governors are not young either, yet none of them seem inclined to stay in the capital to spend the winter with me!"

Liu Chengyou was merely making a casual remark, after all, the two had taken their leave before departing the capital for their garrisons, and he had permitted it.

Among the governors who came to the capital, aside from Chengde Army Military Governor Zhang Yanwei—who, due to Hengzhou being a strategic location, was bestowed with rewards by Liu Chengyou and "chased" back to Hebei—the others were not deliberately managed. This time, only Liu Zhu and this Guo Jin seemed somewhat eager to leave.

As for the two lords Li Yin and Wang Jing, they remained obediently in their residences in the Eastern Capital, seemingly still awaiting Liu Chengyou's edict.

"Did they say anything before leaving?" Liu Chengyou asked.

"Um..." Li Shaoyou seemed to hesitate over whether he should say it or not. Meeting Liu Chengyou's calm gaze, he answered softly: "Xiangzhou Military Governor Liu Zhu once said that without receiving generous rewards from His Majesty, this trip to the capital was a loss..."

"Heh heh!" Liu Chengyou laughed, his smile slightly cold: "This Governor Liu is quite honest, and his accounting is correct. How could the golden saddle, robes, and jade belt I bestowed be worth a hundred dan of fine salt and all those Qingzhou local products?"

Li Shaoyou cautiously reminded him: "Your Majesty, you exchanged the two garrisons of Qingzhou and Xiangzhou. Judging by Liu Zhu's demeanor, I fear he is deeply dissatisfied!"

"Keep an eye on him!" Liu Chengyou said lightly.

"Yes!"

After thinking it over for a moment, Liu Chengyou sighed softly and waved his hand in instruction: "Have Tao Gu draft an edict—the governors who came for audience may leave the capital on their own to return to their garrisons and assume their posts!"

"Yes!"

After this edict was issued, Liu Chengyou still wanted to see the governors' reactions, mainly the performances of Zhe Congruan, Li Yin, and Wang Jing. Murong Yanchao had already been personally persuaded by him to stay.

Regarding the various Hebei governors who came to the capital this time, Liu Chengyou was fairly satisfied in his heart. Zhang Yanwei went without saying; at least the three—Zhe, Li, and Wang—though they were also rough military men risen from the ranks, their arrogant and overbearing demeanor was no longer pronounced.

In fact, Liu Chengyou's soul entering this world and inhabiting this body was, to a certain extent, fortunate—provided he could secure the throne after his succession. Even throughout the "Five Dynasties," though military men dominated and warlords ruled in chaos, the effort to reduce the power of the feudal governors had never ceased since the Later Liang, and rebellions had repeatedly arisen as a result.

But looking at the process of "reducing the feudal governors" across these four dynasties, including the Great Han, over several decades, the effect of strengthening the trunk while weakening the branches had been achieved. By the time of Liu Chengyou's era, no local military governor had the strength to oppose the central government, let alone the power to throw the realm into chaos from one corner or usurp the empire.

Including the current Hedong Military Governorship—after Li Cunxu, Shi Jingtang, and Liu Zhiyuan had each emerged from Jin to contend for the realm three times, Hedong's potential had in fact been whittled down to its lowest point. The territory was still that land of "kingly enterprise," but the manpower was insufficient.

Of course, the premise of all this was that the central government must not fall into chaos, and the imperial army must not fall into chaos.

Therefore, after Liu Chengyou suppressed powerful ministers, abolished corrupt governance, pacified Hezhong, and reorganized the imperial army, with his throne gradually stabilized, the central government's advantage over the regions grew even greater. Otherwise, even men like Zhe, Li, and Wang—though mild in temperament—who knew how much respect they would show the court? Even coming to the capital for an audience on their own initiative would be out of the question.

"What is my imperial uncle busy with these days?" Liu Chengyou thought of Murong Yanchao.

Unable to resist stealing a glance at his imperial cousin, Li Shaoyou reported: "Governor Murong has recently been extensively renovating his mansion, hiring craftsmen and laborers, over three hundred people!"

"Quite a large scale indeed." Liu Chengyou's tone was playful.